Beyond Measure
by Eyeliner-Vampire
Summary: An attempt to kidnap the great Oliver Davis has everyone on edge. He's in serious danger and Mai may be the only one who can help him. Rated T for death and violence. Revamping.
1. File 0

**Warning: Volume 12 spoilers!**

**File 0**

_July 6__th_

The moment Eugene Davis died, Oliver, splayed semi-conscious on the floor, gave up. He invited that nauseating green fog in and willed it to consume him, to numb this excruciating void in his chest.

He accepted death, welcomed it like the murky water that burned his eyes and throat. He bobbed up and down in the lulling motion of the lake, his hair swirling in slow circles around his head.

Sunlight warmed his back as he floated there, still and peaceful. For a fleeting moment he wondered if this was what Gene had felt, the calm rise and fall of the lake's waves. Well, there were worse ways to go, he thought, letting his eyes drift shut.

_Noll, you idiot._

Under any other circumstances, Oliver would have scoffed at the comment but he didn't have the energy. When had he gotten so tired? But still, he couldn't completely ignore his brother.

_Leave me alone, Gene._

_Go back._

The bite in Gene's voice was enough to send chills down his spine. Oliver opened a grey eye to find two bluer ones peering back at him. Behind Gene, Oliver could have seen the rotting yellow blanket if he'd bothered to look.

_Go back, Noll. Go back and find my body._

At this, Oliver focused both sleepy eyes on his twin. The water was getting darker and colder with every passing second. Find his body? But he was right here with him, why did he need to go anywhere?

_Gene?_ His arms reached for the smiling face of his brother but it seemed like he was sinking out of reach. Oliver struggled, trying desperately to swim and reach his brother but Gene was only getting farther away.

He fought harder when he realized it wasn't Gene who was sinking, but he who was rising out of the water. Somehow strong hands had wrapped themselves around his torso, pulling him up to the surface.

_No_, he screamed to himself, _Gene!_

His twin only smiled as he broke through the surface.

_Go back._

And just like that, the water fell away in a single, painful jerk. His body jerked and gasped for air, remembering for the first time that it was still alive and that living things needed to breathe.

But how could he be both alive and dead? Oliver frowned.

"...er..." He didn't remember when his ears had started ringing. "...liver! Oh my God, _Oliver!_" The dark outline of a woman slowly came into focus as he forced himself to concentrate.

Her dark blonde hair framed her face in gentle curls, purple eyes glistening with tears. He knew this woman, he was sure of it. She was-

"_Mum?_"

"Lin, do something!" Luella screamed, tears racing down her pink cheeks.

Oliver cried out as cold water stung his eyes and soaked his shirt. He jerked up, sputtering, but was almost instantly pushed back to the ground.

"Noll." Another, bigger masculine figure appeared above him. It didn't take him long to figure it was he who was holding Oliver down. "If you can hear me, blink."

It took a moment for the voice to register with the name. Lin, what was he doing here?

Oliver stared past him at the high, wooden ceiling, trying to put his thoughts in order. He was... in the cabin? Gene's face flashed in his mind.

Oh, he mused. It had all been a dream.

This didn't immediately seem weird to him. He had dreamed about the day his brother was run over more times than he could count. He had experienced it, the fear and pain, just as if he had been there himself. This was the power of his psychometry.

_Go back._

"Noll-"

"I'm still alive," he scoffed but his voice was raspy and low like he'd just spent the last couple days screaming.

Above him, Lin's face remained impassive. "Luella, call an ambulance."

Oliver rolled his eyes, the effort making the room spin a little. What had he done to warrant a trip to the hospital?

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched his hysterical mother grab her cell phone off the ground. "We're in the middle of nowhere. By the time they get here I'll already be de...ad..." He trailed off, heart racing.

It looked like a tornado had hit the room. Tables and chairs were tipped or flipped, strewn around the small living space. The piles of folders he had been reading were still teetering precariously on the edge of the couch where someone's deft hands were forcing them back into a stack.

Oliver stared at the girl's face, waiting for recognition to hit him.

Mai. Her eyes were wide in what he could only describe as fear, her body shaking.

As he studied her, he realized for the first time that he was on the floor.

Oliver jumped when Lin pressed his cold fingers to his wrist, feeling his pulse. "How are you feeling?"

"Wet."

Lin ignored him and moved his hand to Oliver's forehead. "He doesn't seem to have a fever, and his heart rate is steady. Mai, get some towels."

Mai disappeared without so much as a word and returned a second later with an arm full of towels.

Oliver pushed Lin away (much to his complaint) and pulled himself into a sitting position. His entire body ached but he gritted his teeth and allowed Mai to wrap him in a warm towel.

When her hand brushed his, they both gasped. An electric current bled from her fingertips into his palm and spread through his body in seconds, warming him.

He jerked away from her.

Heart pounding, Oliver fell back, hitting his head against the edge of the forgotten coffee table.

What was this feeling? Lin yelled at him to lie back down but Oliver wasn't listening. His mind was racing, going through every moment he had ever spent with Mai. How many times had they touched?

Not many.

How many times had it felt like this?

Never. Until now.

Mai's eyes watched her hands as if they had done something to betray her.

He wanted to laugh. Despite the tightening of his chest and the knowledge of what was happening, he wanted to laugh.

Mai had sent him energy, just as Gene had done countless times in the past. Oliver's power was tethered to Mai's in the same way it had been to Gene's and there was only one way that could have happened.

They were connected.

* * *

_Authors Note_: Special thanks to my beta, Sir Arghs III!

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

Thanks for reading, you're opinions mean the world!

EL-V


	2. File 1

**File 1**

_July 6th _

Mai was there when it happened. She wouldn't admit it but she had been watching him, awed by his slackened jaw and relaxed body. Somehow he had fallen asleep without her notice, half-stretched across the couch, arm placed delicately over his eyes as if he had meant to open them again. A few manila folders rested in his lap, forgotten.

She watched his chest rhythmically rise and fall. He had never looked so...peaceful.

Luella poured her a cup of coffee before sitting down next to her. "He is stoic. Even as a child I almost never saw him smile." The woman smiled at her sleeping son.

Mai felt her cheeks flush. She was looking at her shoes, hoping to avoid Luella's gaze, when she noticed something odd. The floor was shaking.

All around the girls, things were starting to move. Glasses falling off counters before shattering into a million pieces, the cordless phone dismounting itself from the wall so it could crash onto the counter top.

Luella screamed. Mai jumped up.

The table the two had been sitting at rose a few inches off the ground and was now revolving slowly in the air as it shook. Mai motioned for Luella to move away from the table but her eyes were fixed on something in the other room.

"Noll!" The blonde haired woman sprinted to her son. Mai slowly backed away from the precariously floating table and followed behind Luella. Maybe if they woke Naru up he could tell them what was happening.

But one look at the boy sent shivers down her spine. His eyes were pinched shut, his arm bent awkwardly behind him as he lay crumpled on the floor. As she watched, his free arm reached out into the air. "_Gene..._"

"Oliver, stop this!" Luella shouted, brushing her son's bangs out of his face. She tapped him lightly on the cheek. "Wake up!"

Mai didn't know what to do. She sank to her knees beside her boss, watching his eyes dart back and forth under his eyelids. Without thinking, she reached out for his hand. When they touched, it was like ice on her fingertips. She jerked away but the feeling crawled up her arm and encompassed her whole body. She jumped to her feet, desperate to get away from this feeling.

Her head swam. What was happening?

The lights flickered. The coffee table beside them was suddenly flipped on its side. Around the room, objects were beginning to take flight.

Was this... Naru?

Mai jumped at the loud _bang!_ the door made when a disheveled looking Lin came rushing into the room. He took one look around before his eyes fell on Naru. He barely dodged a flying chair as it danced across the room.

Lin ran across the room and into the kitchen. Mai couldn't take her eyes off Naru. He was relatively still now, his head laid on his mother's lap as she screamed for Lin to do something. That's when Lin bounded across the cabin, a cold water bottle in hand.

In one motion he uncapped it and sent the liquid spilling onto Naru's face.

The room stilled.

Naru's eyes snapped open as he jerked up in surprise. Lin, having already been expecting this reaction, was quick to shove him back down. He was still again and Mai wondered if he had fallen unconscious. But his eyes were still open, staring wide open at the ceiling.

"Naru? If you can hear me, blink." A few moments passed in silence. "Naru-"

"I'm still alive."

~.~.~

Oliver wished the ambulance driver had had enough sense to turn off the flashing red and white lights. It had been annoying enough that everyone and their mother heard the wailing cries of the sirens that announced their arrival, but he had a headache and these lights were not helping.

A crowd of nosy camp-goers had begun to form on the path between the cabins and the lake, everyone trying to get a glimpse of what was happening. He could hear the whispers, the beginning of rumors. He shook his head. On the edge of the crowd, the faces of his team glowed in the periodic flashes of red and white. Monk, Ayako, John, Masako, Yasu, and Mai. His eyes lingered on her, watching her hands move adamantly as she talked. As if she could feel his stare, Mai picked that moment to turn around. Their eyes met.

He flinched. In an instant, her thoughts flitted through his brain, humming so loud he couldn't make out one thought from the other. The only word he could make out was his name - or rather his nickname, Naru. Curiosity made him want to listen longer, to decipher why she was thinking about him, but his head throbbed. He blinked, decided the ground was much more interesting to look at, and rubbed his temples. The second his eyes left hers, the telepathic link disconnected and he was left with his own thoughts to fill his head.

It looked like he'd have to avoid all contact with the girl until they learned how to control it. Or at least until she learned how to guard her mind better. It was a skill Oliver had been forced to learn at a very young age, when Gene had used his brothers' thoughts as his personal source of entertainment.

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose.

He just wanted some peace. A moment to himself to think.

He tried his best to sit still on the edge of the ambulance car as a man in blue probed him for injuries. Oliver had told the man he was fine but Lin, worried for his young friend, all but forced him into the truck. Ironically enough, Luella had then forced Lin down beside her son so she could wrap a bandage around his arm where a gash had appeared from all the chaos. Lin stayed beside Oliver when his mother had left to find her husband.

Which was probably why Oliver had not made a break for it.

"Your heart rate is a little higher than normal but other than that you're just fine, Shibuya-san." He sighed as the man in blue removed the medical cuff from around his arm and left to check if anyone else had been hurt.

Once the man was gone, Oliver felt Lin's hard glare studying him. He didn't bother to look back at his chaperone; he already knew what was going to be asked.

"What did you see?"

He didn't answer. He knew he could trust Lin with many things but didn't know if this could be one of them. Oliver had already told Mai not to tell anyone about what had happened inside the cabin; no one needed to know until he was _sure_ he was right. But he could tell Lin, couldn't he? He didn't have to debate for long because after a moment Lin said, "You bonded with her."

A cold chill slid down his spine. Had it really been that obvious? His head thrummed a little harder but he forced himself to answer. "...yes."

"Naru-!"

"I know." Oliver cut Lin off. "I know it was stupid but it just... _happened_." He thought back to the moment when Mai's hand had brushed his. The electricity, the feeling of refuge. The control. His brain fought to explain it scientifically.

Maybe he'd had static discharge from falling off the couch. No, the cabin's floors were all hardwood and the couch was leather. Maybe he had still been out of it and his mind was making the whole event up. That was plausible - until he couldn't explain why he could hear Mai's thoughts. It was only in spurts when they touched or looked at each other, but it was there when it hadn't been before.

And that was something only he and Gene had ever been able to do.

Despite every fact he'd tried to refute, there was one he couldn't no matter how hard he tried.

He had used PK. He had used a _lot_ of PK; the state of the cabin was testament to that. He'd also used psychometry and that alone had once been enough to send him to the emergency room. So why was he perched on the back of the emergency van being told he was "_just fine_"? He should have been lying on his death bed, not that he wanted to be.

Something had happened to stop him from being affected by his substantial use of PK. And after recounting all that had led up to his 'episode' (eating lunch and falling asleep on the couch while waiting for his brother's body to be found somewhere in the lake), that moment with Mai was the only possible answer.

He let out an irritated sigh. He was Oliver freaking Davis and he was determined to figure this out. But before he could put any more thought into it, Lin's voice broke his concentration. It was deeper and almost guttural.

"I've known you and Gene for a long time, Naru. I saw the effect it had on Gene, on you even, when you couldn't control it." Oliver made the mistake of looking at Lin whose eyes were burning with something akin to fear. "You could _kill_ that girl - and yourself."

"_I know_," Oliver breathed, his head bowed. The severity of the situation had not escaped him; he'd just tried to see a way around it. But now, hearing Lin's warning, Oliver couldn't ignore it. "I have to train her."

"You'd need a secluded environment with paramedics on hand. Where are you going to get that in Japan?"

The thought struck Oliver only a moment before Lin said it. But now, the 'where' seemed obvious and he was just about to say so when a terrible shout caught his attention.

A man clad in a wet suit broke through the crowd. Oliver recognized him instantly. It was one of the divers from the lake.

"We found something."

~.~.~

Ten months. That's how long it took Oliver to find the body of his brother. He tried not to think of the state the body had been in. Instead he leaned against the tree and tried not to think at all.

The moment Gene's body had been found, Oliver had taken it upon himself to identify it. It was him, of course. He turned to his parents. Luella was already in tears but one look at her son's face only brought on a new wave. Martin had given him a curt nod in understanding.

Then Oliver left. He couldn't stand to watch his brother be loaded into a body bag for the mortician to examine later. He walked into the woods by the forest, hoping for some peace, but what he found was Mai.

She spun around, eyes wide when she saw him. She looked back at the tree then at him, confusion in her eyes. He dropped his gaze to the ground. "What's wrong?"

"Naru?" Mai questioned, "You really are... Naru, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Are you daydreaming again?"

Mai's cheeks tinted red. "I-I'm not sure."

Oliver fought the irritation that bubbled in his chest. He just wanted to be alone.

"If you're you, then who was the Naru who was here until now?"

Oliver froze. "Who was here?"

"Naru, I was talking to you until a second ago."

He glared at the ground before sighing. "You were dreaming."

"No I wasn't," Mai huffed, pointing back towards the tree. "I was definitely awake. It looked like the usual dreams I have but it wasn't."

Oliver felt his curiosity getting the better of him. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at the ground. "Usual dream?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mai jump and cover her mouth with her hands. "What was that?"

"N-nothing! Just a dream!"

"What kind?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"It didn't sound that way. I was in it?" A blush threatened to creep up Oliver's neck but he restrained it. Mai was dreaming about him?

"It doesn't concern you!"

"I don't think so."

"Y-you don't have to know."

"You don't have to hide it."

"I..." Mai wrapped her arms around herself as Oliver took a few steps closer. "I'm not hiding!... I had a dream with you, Naru!" Mai's hands were clenched into tiny fists, her eyes full of fire staring straight at him.

Oliver couldn't help it. He tilted his head in an almost childish way, feeling the frown on his lips as he looked at Mai. "...with me?" Was this girl... dreaming about him?

"Y-yeah... But it couldn't be you, not really. The Naru in my dreams is always smiling... and kind."

"-Kind?" Mai's brown eyes focused on his blue ones and all at once the images came to him. Images of him, smiling, telling her it was alright. Images of them in the cave next to the house from the last case with Naru holding her hand, guiding her through the mystery...

No. That wasn't him. His heart stuttered. His knees suddenly felt like jelly as he looked at the girl before him. "You said you were... _talking _to him until a second ago?"

Mai nodded but didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Oliver could hear every thought that raced through her mind.

_I know it was just wishful thinking- Naru could never smile like that. Just when I was beginning to think Naru visited my dreams on purpose-_

"I can't leave my body, Mai. I don't have that gift."

Her thoughts paused - but only for a moment. _If you laugh I will slap you._

"I'm not going to laugh."

Her eyes went wide. _Can you hear me? Are you reading my-_

"Since when?"

"Huh? Naru-"

"When did this start?"

_The dreams? Since... since I met you._

His eyes narrowed. "It's not me."

"Huh?"

"That's not me. That was Gene." He rubbed his temples. "_Eugene..._"

_No way! It was you! Even if you were siblings I would never mistake you for-_

"We were twins Mai. If we were expressionless, no one could tell us apart."

_But... your older brother's... de-_

He looked away from Mai, breaking the connection. He had heard enough.

There was a moment of silence and then: "You can hear my thoughts, can't you?"

Oliver thought about not answering her. He could just turn around and leave her to her own devices, but he would have to tell her sooner or later. So he nodded.

Mai's expression dimmed. "Is this because of the-"

"Connection. Bond. _Psychic Link._"

His head hurt. Bad. He pinched the spot between his eyes, hoping to ward it off.

"Wait. How come I can't hear yours?"

It took a lot out of him to keep his eyes off the confused girl but he needed the peace of mind. So he turned his back to her. "I can block you out; you'll learn how. Eventually."

"But Naru-"

"I'm done here, Mai. I expect to see you at the office tomorrow, _on time._"

~.~.~

Mai couldn't sleep that night. She wandered around her small living space until her alarm went off at 5 AM.

Gene. The boy in her dreams had been Gene, not Naru. She immediately blamed herself for not knowing. But how could she? And Naru didn't seem pleased with the fact she had been seeing Gene at all.

Mai sighed as she walked up the stairs to the door of SPR a full hour early. There was something off about the residence, but not in a bad way. She didn't know how, but she knew Naru was in there already.

Naru had said he would be shutting down the office once he found his brother so... why did she have to come in today? He probably wanted her help to pack up all the supplies, she thought bitterly.

She sighed again and entered the office, finding a whole pile of paperwork on her desk waiting for her.

For the third time that day (and it was only 6 AM), Mai sighed.

A few hours later and she was twirling her hair around a pen, hoping for something else to do. She'd finished her pile of paperwork two hours ago and Naru hadn't so much as called for tea yet.

Mai jumped when the door to Naru's office creaked open.

_Speak of the devil,_ she thought, ready for a run to the kitchen.

But Naru didn't ask for tea. He took a few steps out of his dark office and regarded Mai with an incredulous look. "Here," he said, tossing a thick book to the unsuspecting girl. She reached out just in time to stop it from sliding off the desk. "You'll need it."

Her brown eyes went wide then furrowed, lips moving as she attempted to read the title:

_The English Language for Dummies._

Oliver bit back a yelp of surprise. Mai's mind was racing, muddling his own thoughts with questions she debated on asking and comments she would never say aloud. He was trying to siphon through them, a hand on his temple, when he noticed Mai's eyes on him.

_Why?_

This one thought rang above the rest of the noise. He let a sardonic smirk slip onto his lips as he retreated into his office.

_We're going to England._

Mai's eyes couldn't have gotten any bigger. Naru's thought echoed in her head as she stared back down at the book. English? She was going to have to learn English?

Not that she was a complete idiot. She'd paid attention in school to know enough of the language to get by. At least, she thought so.

She cracked the book open - only to instantly want to shut it again. _This is going to take a while._

"Mai-"

"Get your own damn tea!"

* * *

_Authors Note_: Special thanks to my beta, Sir Arghs III!

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

Thanks for reading, you're opinions mean the world!

EL-V


	3. File 2

**File 2**

_July 7th._

Mai had been so stunned by the sudden prospect of going to England that it took a while for her to realize _she was going to England_.

_To ENGLAND_.

Then it took only seconds for the anger to bubble to the surface. Did Naru expect her to just up and leave with him? It sounded so much like a Naru-esque thing that Mai couldn't put it past him. But she couldn't just leave no matter how famous (cough- attractive- cough) and influential her boss thought he was.

Mai slammed the book closed on her desk and stood, ready to barge into Naru's office and give him a piece of her mind - but something held her back.

She couldn't just go sauntering into the narcissist's office and expect him to comply with her demands. With a sigh, the brown-eyed girl slid back behind her desk and brandished a pen and a clean sheet of paper. She needed a plan.

~.~.~

Two hours later Mai found herself staring at her boss's closed door, twitching with nervousness. She'd raised her hand to knock three times - and three times she dropped it. In the office next door she could hear Lin typing on his laptop.

_C'mon Mai, he can't shoot you down if you don't ASK, _she told herself. She chewed the inside of her lip and raised her fist again.

"If you're not going to come in, then leave. You're disturbing my work, Mai."

The girl made an embarrassed noise but pushed the door open anyway. "Uh, N-Naru? Can I talk to you?"

Naru sat at his desk, an open file in hand. His head was tilted, resting against his propped up fist. He didn't even blink at his assistant. "I suppose it's better than your hovering outside my office."

Mai glared at him, taking a calming breath. "I'll go to England."

Naru scoffed. "If you're here to state the obvious-"

"But I have one stipulation."

Naru raised an eyebrow, studying her out of the corner of his eye.

Mai only hesitated for a moment before deciding that that was her boss's way of showing interest. "There are only two months left before school breaks for summer," she said, leveling her gaze on him, "I will stay in Japan until then."

"I agree."

Mai nearly fell over. "You do?" Up until then, Mai had been under the impression that she and Naru would be on the next flight out of the country. Now, seeing the disturbing lack of packed material scattered around the office, she mentally kicked herself.

Naru sighed and placed the thick file on his desk, rising to his feet. "Yes, Mai. I never expected you to drop out of school." With a glance at the wall clock he slipped his jacket on. "Was there anything else? I have a flight to catch."

She shook her head, eyes sad. Her chest hurt at the thought of him leaving her even when she knew she'd see him in a little over two months. Not only see him, she thought, she'd be _living_ with her former boss. A blush crossed her cheeks.

Naru regarded her with a curious look as he brushed past her to the door. "Two months, Mai," was all he said before he was gone.

_Dewa matta, Naru_. She thought gloomily. Then a small smile spread over her as she heard his voice chime in her head.

_Bye, Mai._

~.~.~

ONE MONTH LATER

_August 8th_

Luella bit her lip, swirling the wine diligently in its glass as she tried to put a name to the heaviness in her chest.

Martin and Lin were talking business in hushed voices on the couch adjacent to her. It only took her a moment to figure out what was missing.

_Noll_.

Her young son had excused himself from dinner proclaiming that he had research to do on some upcoming case. But that had been hours ago. Luella sighed. It seemed that work was all Noll did in the two weeks he'd been back home.

And when he wasn't working, her son was conferring with Lin and Martin about their future house guest. The adoptive mother had nearly had a heart attack when Noll had announced that his former assistant would be staying with them that summer. It had only been a few days after Gene's funeral, after all. She'd been upset at the lack of explanation but was absolutely elated this assistant was indeed a _girl_.

In her head, Luella was already envisioning what this girl must be like. Despite the emphasis on her visit being simply for research, the woman knew Noll wouldn't jump through hoops for just anyone. She shook her head. These thoughts were dangerous, especially since the girl wouldn't be here for another month and a half.

"Can I get you a fresh glass, my lady?"

Luella jumped, nearly spilling the remains of her wine onto her dress. She hadn't noticed the elegantly dressed man bowing slightly beside her. "Oh, James. You startled me." She forced a short laugh and handed the manservant her glass. "A cup of tea sounds lovely, dear. Thank you. Wait- James?" James, who had been on his way to the kitchen, turned back to her. "Have you seen Oliver?"

He shook his head. "Not since supper, my lady."

"I see. Thank you."

Hearing the dismissal, James left as swiftly as he had come. Luella wrung her fingers, a habit she thought she'd broken years ago. Where could he be?

That was when the door opened. The sound of the heavy wood smacking into the wall echoed through the mansion.

"Luella?" A voice slurred from the entryway. The three adults sat frozen in their seats, dazed as another crash sounded. They recognized the sound of shattering glass. "_Mum?_"

"Oliver?" Luella's heart lurched as she jumped from the couch practically flying into the foyer. "Oliver!" She gasped, a hand fluttering to her mouth.

Noll lay face down on the marble floor, surrounded by pieces of broken glass and scattered roses. A small round table rocked back and forth on its side a few feet away. Her son moaned, pushing himself onto his side.

The adoptive mother tried not to gag at the blood his hands had left behind. "_What happened?_" She breathed the question, placing a hand on his forehead. He shivered at her touch, skin burning. Noll only groaned.

"What happened?" He barely recognized Lin's voice as it filled the room. Noll opened his mouth to say something but all he could manage was a pitiful grunt.

"I-I don't know."

Their voices were starting to smudge together into indecipherable phrases. Noll's eyes were getting too heavy to keep open, so he closed them. Arms wrapped themselves around him, almost daring him to protest. But Noll was too tired.

So he slept.

~.~.~

Mai huffed for the fourth time since beginning her homework. The pencil lay discarded on the table as she glared at the equation. What was she ever going to use this for again? Ever since SPR had shut down, Mai spent more of her free time moping than she cared to admit. Eventually, staring at the ceiling had bored her into doing her homework.

Because math had never been her strong suit, Mai found herself glaring at the nonsensical numbers. She sighed again, fingering the English book Naru had given her just two weeks before. She rolled her eyes in exasperation when she realized she'd rather learn a foreign language than do five more algebra questions.

She jumped when her phone vibrated, sending her pencil rolling off the table. She picked the phone up before the second ring. "Hello?"

"Mai," a familiar voice gasped, "I hope you're packed."

The girl looked worriedly at the wall. No matter the situation, Mai was sure she'd never heard him sound so _nervous_. "Lin? Is Naru okay?"

Lin sounded like he'd been jogging. "I'm afraid I can't say. He's still under observation."

"What happened?" Mai nearly dropped the phone. Had Naru used PK without her there? She mumbled a curse word.

"They're still not sure but- Mai." The sound of a car door slamming shut punctuated the pause. "I've got a bad feeling."

"Lin... what are you saying?"

The phone line crackled and hummed. Mai wanted to scream into the speaker but couldn't stand the thought of missing what he might say next. Another moment passed in silence. Lin exhaled, "I think someone's after Noll."

Mai's hand fluttered to her throat. Someone was after Naru? It sounded totally ridiculous and completely terrifying. "What...what?"

"Your flight leaves in two hours." He said suddenly.

Mai gave a shout of protest. "Lin I can't-"

"You would do well not to miss it." There was a certain finality in the Chinese man's voice.

"..._Hai_." She said finally but the line had already gone to static.

* * *

_Authors Note_: I truly apologize for the long wait and short-ish chapter. While most of the wait was because I was stumped on my plans for this story, I also took two rather unforgiving spills off my bike. But now that my slightly broken pinky finger has healed, I'm back up and running! Not to mention I've got *at least* the next few chapters planned out.

Special thanks to my beta, Sir Arghs III!

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

Thanks for reading, you're opinions mean the world!

EL-V


	4. File 3

**File 3**

_August 9th  
_

12 hours - alone - on a plane to a country she didn't know, had Mai feeling more than anxious. The hard twist in her stomach had started at Tokyo airport when she'd called Lin to tell him she'd be boarding soon, and he hadn't answered. She kept trying to convince herself that he was probably with Naru at the hospital where the service was bad no matter what country you were in and not lying dead in a ditch somewhere. Lin was Lin, after all.

Still, worry had wormed its way into her head with the thought of her boss lying in the hospital. Mental images of the last time she'd seen her dark haired boss in such a state. His skin pale against the gentle blue bedding, his hair swept back from his forehead...

That had only been a few weeks ago, and now he was back in the same situation. Except this time they didn't know what had put him there...

He'd overused his PK then, on a suicidal mission to settle the score with the God that had possessed him on the Cursed House case.

Mai shivered. She still blamed herself for that one. If she hadn't screamed at Naru to 'man up' and do the exorcism himself instead of throwing his team in danger, he probably never would have thrown _himself_ into danger.

"_Someone's after Naru,_" Lin's warning still echoed in her head. Mai pictured Naru there now, in a different hospital bed, cuts marring his angular face, his hands and his chest. Tears sprang from her eyes. She wanted - no, _needed_ to know what happened. What had made Lin jump to such a hasty conclusion that someone was out to get Naru? Sure, he was frustrating and narcissistic, but that wasn't enough for someone to want to hurt him, right?

The seatbelt light clicked on and Mai wiped her eyes. Somewhere ahead of her an attendant was announcing their descent into England. Anxiety twisted again as the afternoon lights of London shone through the window.

Here she was, only minutes away from landing in the country Naru called home. She was a month early but as the mental image of him lying limp in that dreadful bed reared up again, Mai was beginning to think it wasn't nearly early enough.

~.~.~

"Our technicians found high levels of _serotonin_ in his blood samples. Along with _adrenergic_, _dopamine_, and-"

"Doctor _please_," Luella gripped her husband's arm tighter, voice filled with emotion. "Please just tell us what happened to our son."

The heart rate monitor sputtered for the fifth time since the young man had been admitted. Martin turned his head toward the sound and gazed at his son's peaceful face. If he hadn't known better, he would have assumed Noll was sleeping, not unconscious. But the thin bandages wrapped around the superficial cuts on both his hands made it hard to forget.

The doctor sighed, pressing his glasses back into place. "I believe it's most likely that your son was drugged."

"_Drugged?_"

He nodded. "Your son isn't on any medications, right? No, by any chance, 'recreational' drug use either?"

"No." Luella supplied immediately.

"If there's any doubt-"

"What are you insinuating?"

Martin squeezed his wife's hand, glancing again toward his son. "You don't know Oliver; he won't even take medication for headaches. There is no way he would ever take any kind of drug, prescription or otherwise."

"That's what I suspected." The doctor sighed, glancing down at the clip board in his hand. "I've seen this combination of solutions before in an antipsychotic prescription drug called _Sychol_. Drowsiness and confusion are some of the most common side effects."

"Are you sure?"

"We are still running tests, but yes."

Luella bit her lip. "How could someone drug him with a pill?"

"It would be pretty simple, actually." The doctor jotted something down on the paper and slid the clip board back into its holder at the end of the bed. "These tablets are made to dissolve relatively quickly. It could have been slipped into a drink or food - it has no taste."

A soft groan filled the room. All three occupants turned to watch as the heart monitor sputtered again and Noll scrunched his eyes against the offending light. His hand that sported the IV needle flexed into a loose fist.

He felt like shit. Both his hands stung like he'd lost a fight with a bottle of antiseptic. A wave of nausea washed over him with the throbbing of his knee. And his head hurt.

God his head hurt. It throbbed from temple to temple, shooting strings of pain down to his jaw. Noll forced his eyes open, panic settling in his expression. He jerked up, deft hands reaching over his chest and wrist, pulling on the jelled wires and IV tube.

"Noll!" Luella flitted to his side with tears of relief shining in her eyes.

A resounding alarm muffled her yell, though. The heart monitor drew a flat line across the screen, screeching its warning for all there to hear. Noll flinched at the sound and at his adoptive mother's arms as they wrapped around his shoulders.

The doctor took a step around the bed and unplugged the machine, gracing the room with silence.

Noll exchanged a look with him, realization dawning on his face. "Sorry," he offered curtly, watching as the doctor waved away a team of panicked nurses with what looked like a crash cart.

Martin stood beside his wife as she sat on the edge of the small hospital bed. "Are you alright, dear? Does anything hurt?"

Noll blinked a flash of déjà vu at the worried look in her misty blue eyes. He cast a glance around the room. "I'm fine," he said running a hand through his hair, a habit he picked up from Gene. "Why am I in the hospital?"

"You fainted."

Funny, he didn't remember fainting. It did explain why his hands hurt so much, though. "What happened?"

His parents shared a look with the doctor.

"We were hoping you could tell us, Oliver. Do you remember anything at all from yesterday?"

Yesterday? Noll's eyes drifted toward the window and the offending afternoon sun. He'd been out for almost a day. Sighing to cover his surprise, Noll glared at the sheets. He searched his memory but there was nothing, no sign of the lingering buzz of PK or any hint of feeling sick. He remembered dinner and then... nothing.

"No," he said finally.

The doctor smiled sadly. "Unfortunate but not unexpected. The memories should come back with time," he added, sensing the question before Luella could ask it.

"Right," she sniffed.

Martin shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you for your help, Doctor Cameron."

"Of course. As soon and as long as the nurses don't find anything else troubling, Oliver should be able to go home in a few short hours."

Noll watched the doctor leave with as much of a curious expression as he could muster. "Where's Lin?" The last he remembered his Chinese colleague had been at the Davises' for dinner and he could probably help jog Noll's memory more than either of his parents.

"The airport; he left about an hour ago."

Noll bit his lip in an effort to keep the surprise off his face. "Airport?"

His parents shared another look and the suspense was really starting to piss him off. He hated not knowing. Then Martin flashed him a knowing smile, glancing at the silver watch on his wrist.

"Her flight landed about 15 minutes ago. They'll be meeting us at home."

"_Who?_" he growled, trying to ignore the way his heart leapt in his chest. Suddenly he didn't feel so guilty for ripping off the heart monitor's wires.

Luella squeezed his hand with an adoring smile. "Mai."

* * *

_Authors Note_: Short and kinda boring but not all chapters can be a winner :/

Special thanks to my beta, Sir Arghs III!

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

NEXT TIME: The secrets out! ...or is it?

Thanks for reading, you're opinions mean the world!

EL-V


	5. File 4

TIDBIT: If the characters are speaking a language not native to the country they're in, it's italicized. Example, Mai's in England speaking Japanese so it's in italics. And it only applies to dialogue.

* * *

**File 4**

_August 9__th._

Mai eyed the conveyor belt as it swung around for the third time, towing more luggage than should have been possible. And they all looked _the same._

She held back a cry of frustration. If she'd used her normal suitcase, she was sure she wouldn't be in this situation. But the old blue one that used to be her mother's offered more space for her things. It had been a good idea at the time, except in her haste to make her flight she had forgotten to tie a ribbon round the handle. Now the bag was lost among the crowd and countless others.

Mai sighed. "Oh!"

She spotted the worn blue bag as it wound around the bend, tumbling slowly toward her. But as she reached for it a large man's hand blocked her, picking it up as if the overstuffed bag weighed nothing.

"_Hey-!_"

"Is this everything?"

Mai blinked at the English words spoken in a very familiar voice before her eyes registered the stern face of her Chinese coworker. "_Lin-san!_"

Lin nodded, his fringe covering one eye as he repeated the question.

"Oh, yeah. That's it," Mai tried, the language awkward on her unpracticed tongue. Her smile dropped. "_How's Naru?_"

He readjusted his grip on the luggage and turned to head down a crowded hallway. "_Not here._"

She squeaked and rushed to follow him.

And to her surprise, walking next to her friend had given Mai more comfort than she had expected. The anxiety that she'd felt on the plane was still there, still making her heart beat loud in her ears, but it was considerably lighter at the sight of the tall Chinese man.

Small groups loitered on either side of the hall, speaking to each other in high squeals and fast accents. The indistinguishable English banter made her nervous. Sure, she had years of shot-y English classes at school and a few weeks of intense studying of her own under her belt, but she still felt the language barrier pushing against her like a brick wall, threatening to suffocate her. She'd nearly had a breakdown when the Customs Agent had questioned her in the blasted language. She stumbled her way through it though.

A few feet ahead, Lin was oblivious to the panic rising in the young brunette. He silently led her away from the crowds and down a few escalators to a private underground parking area. It looked more like a creepy old tunnel to Mai, who shied away from the dank white walls and large stone separation borders. She skipped to catch up with Lin as he dropped her bag into the trunk of a sleek black S.U.V. It looked so much like the van they'd used at SPR in Japan that a wave of nostalgia washed over Mai.

A wave that broke around Lin as he opened the passengers' door and motioned her inside.

She barely had her seatbelt on when he slid behind the wheel and coaxed the vehicle into gear. "_Are we going to the hospital?"_

Lin didn't answer. Silence filled the space as he maneuvered through the tunnel. Mai watched the lights pass over his stoic face as they passed through a security gate and merged onto the main road - or what Mai assumed was the main road. It was far too busy to be anything else, and lined with beautiful stone buildings.

She had already taken to gawking at them through the tinted windows when Lin's phone rang.

He didn't spare a glance at the I.D. before flipping the small phone open. "Lin."

A deep accented voice could be heard through the silence but Mai couldn't decipher any of the words. Not only was it too low to make out but he was obviously speaking in English.

Ugh.

Suddenly the Chinese man's eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his forehead. He shot a sideways glace at Mai as he turned down a side road. This one was lined with what could only be houses. They must have been in a suburban area now. "And they are absolutely sure?"

Mai suddenly wondered how many languages her Chinese superior knew.

Another spout of indecipherable babble. "Yes, she's here - We will meet you there." Without so much as a goodbye, Lin flipped the phone shut.

"_Was that Naru?_"

"No." He paused, jaw tight as if he were debating something. Then he sighed. "_It was _Martin, _Naru's father._"

Mai nodded, remembering the well-mannered man who consoled Luella, Naru's mother, by the lake when they found Gene's body. A thread of fear sparked in her chest. Had something else happened to Naru? Before she could stop, Mai found herself repeating her question from earlier. "_Is Naru okay?_"

Lin was silent again as they turned down yet another neighborhood street. Just when she was sure he was going to ignore the question again, he said, "_He just woke up. The doctor said the drug should have no lasting effects._"

"_Drug?_" Mai blanched, jerking in her seat to face him.

Lin's expression turned into surprise as if he'd forgotten he had hung up on her in Japan when she asked what had happened. Then he cleared his throat, the stoically blank expression regaining control. "_Naru barely made it home last night. When he collapsed we all thought he had used too much PK and rushed him to the hospital._"

Mai nodded along, trying not to let the worry show on her face. She would have called him an idiot for using his abilities without her there, but something in Lin's voice told her that wasn't what actually happened.

They took a right turn down a cobble stone path that was framed almost entirely by trees. It was beautiful, yet at the same time, claustrophobic. "_If he'd used PK they would have diagnosed him with anemia and dehydration. Blood tests just came back showing traces of a drug called _Sychol_ in his system. He was drugged._"

She bit her lip, trying to picture Naru taking the drug willingly. Then she shook her head. Naru would sooner kick his tea addiction than kill his brain cells making stupid decisions. "_Uhh_," she hummed, doing the time table in her head. "_Lin-san? You said the blood tests just came back, right?_"

He nodded.

"Then... how did you know he was drugged when you called me yesterday?" She forced the words to come out in English, almost certain she'd said it wrong. But Lin shot her a look that said she had hit the nail on the head.

The S.U.V slowed to a crawl as it approached a large black iron gate.

Mai had suspected the Davises would live in a big house - but she hadn't exactly thought of just _how_ big. The enormous stone house, which should have been called a mansion really, towered just a few yards beyond the gate. It screamed elegance and tradition in its intricate masonry and stone work. It sprawled over the land as if it had been there for hundreds of years.

As Mai ogled at it, awestruck, she vaguely remembered someone telling her Naru's parents were University professors. Whoever it was must have been lying.

So caught up in her thoughts, Mai nearly missed Lin saying, "My Shiki. They sensed the drug in Noll's aura. It wasn't hard to figure out someone had done it to him."

The gates hummed quietly as they lurched open. Lin drove through as soon as the gap was wide enough and pulled the SUV around the semi-circle courtyard to the entrance.

No sooner was the vehicle in park than her door was pulled open for her by a man in very formal attire. Mai eyed the black suit jacket and the white button-down vest with interest before she met the young man's face. His brown eyes sparkled.

"Afternoon Miss Taniyama," The words were formed around his - very attractive - English accent. He offered her a gloved hand to help her out of the SUV. "Welcome to England."

"Thank you," she said, seriously hoping it'd been in English.

He smiled down at her for a heartbeat before taking a smooth step back and bowing his head. "Afternoon, Lin."

Lin's answer came as he rounded the corner, tugging his shirt cuff up around his elbow. "Afternoon. Mai, follow me."

The brunette skipped to make it to the door before Lin decided she was too slow and closed it. She turned once to watch the well-dressed man heave her bag from the trunk before following the Chinese man inside.

Though the outside was rustic and old-fashioned, the inside of the mansion was a bit more... modern. The door opened to a big entryway that Mai was sure was supposed to be called a foyer, with a twin staircase that curved on either side of the space.

Out of habit, Mai slipped off her shoes and placed them neatly against the wall. "Lin-san?" she started, following him down the hall to a giant room. "Is it okay that we're here before the Davises?" It was just a little bit awkward, the thought of making herself at home before she greeted the family that was hosting her.

Lin looked dubious, clearly at home as he crossed his legs in an expensive looking armchair. She didn't doubt from his relationship with Naru that Lin was close with the Davis family.

Mai stood uneasily in the archway, taking in the detail. There was a large TV mounted on the far wall above a cozy looking fireplace. The rest of the walls were blank except for the occasional splash of deep red paint. The whole place seemed to fall into the red-white-black theme from the black sofas and chairs to the redwood hardwood flooring.

"Can I get you a drink, Miss Taniyama?" Mai jumped. She hadn't heard anyone approach, even though she expected these tall ceilings would echo.

"It's just Mai," she smiled at the amused look in his eye. "And no, thank you."

He nodded, "Of course, Miss Mai. You're from Tokyo, yes?" The way he said it made her hometown sound like some magical faraway place.

The English accent had a way of doing that.

"_Hai_," she answered happily. She crossed her arms behind her back for lack of anything else to do.

The brown eyed man chuckled, his cheeks denting where his dimples were. "Well, may I say you speak very good English."

A blush threatened to creep on Mai's cheeks. She felt her brain whirr as she stumbled to accept his compliment. "T-Thank you."

"Lin, can I get you anything?"

Lin leafed through a case file that had been left abandoned on the coffee table. He didn't look up as he said, "Tea, please, James."

James nodded once at Lin and offered Mai another smile as he left for the kitchen.

Mai didn't know what to do. As soon as James the butler had left, Lin had gone back to reading and ignoring her.

"What time do you think they will get here?" She asked in English, deciding it was best if she continued practicing without her book. Immersion was the best way to learn, right? And it totally had nothing to do with James's compliment still dancing in her brain.

"Soon," Lin answered offhandedly.

She sighed, tiptoeing further into the room. She gazed at the black bookshelf, running her fingers over the well-worn spines. The one titled _Supernatural Systems_ made her smile. Of course; what kind of narcissist _wouldn't_ own his own book? Mai thought about reading it, but decided she wouldn't give Naru the satisfaction.

She moved slowly over to the fireplace where she saw the mantle filled with pictures. Some of them featured Martin and Luella at what could only be their wedding, but most of them were of the twins. It was immediately obvious which one was which in the picture closest to her. Gene was sporting a huge grin while Naru looked blankly at the camera.

"It's hard to believe Naru was ever this young..."

"_Your accent is terrible._"

"Naru!" Mai spun on her heel so fast it was all she could do to not go careening into the fire pit. "_You're here!_"

The teenager leaned against the archway where Mai had been only a few minutes earlier, arms crossed over his chest and a sullen smirk on his face. He was in his usual black attire but unusually, it was just a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. No dress shirt, no slacks. He looked exactly the same as he had a month ago, but somehow his dressing down made him look... hotter.

James entered the room with a steaming cup of tea for Lin but stopped dead when he saw Naru standing there. "Oh. Welcome home, young master."

Naru didn't move from his spot but cast an annoyed glance at the slightly older James. "It's Oliver."

"Right, sorry. My mistake."

"Not even home five minutes and you're already harassing the staff, Noll? You must be feeling better." Luella's teasing voice drifted through the hall as she appeared behind her son. Her wide smile only got wider when she spotted Mai. "Oh, Mai sweetheart! It's so nice to see you again!"

Mai met the woman in the middle of the room, hugging her back tightly. "It's nice to see you too, Mrs. Davis. Thank you for having me."

"Call me Luella! And please, you're welcome here anytime."

A bespectacled man crossed the room and stretched an arm around his wife. Mai had never met him but she recognized him from the pictures and a few spare moments at the camp ground in Japan. "Hello, Miss Taniyama. It's nice to finally meet you. My wife has been talking nonstop about your visit here."

Mai bowed her head in a rushed greeting before realizing he had stuck his hand out for her to shake. She took it quickly, feeling a blush heat her cheeks. "It's just Mai," she stammered. "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Davis."

"Please, call me Martin."

Noll watched his parents from the archway, trying to ignore the ache in his leg. It wasn't until he'd gotten up to change that he realized he'd sustained a pretty bad flesh wound from his knee down. The nurses had dressed it with gauze and some wrap to keep it from getting infected but the longer he stood, the worse it seemed to burn. It was the only time he was grateful for the sweatpants Luella had brought him.

Unfortunately, Mai sensed his discomfort.

"Naru? _Are you in pain?_" She asked with a tilt to her head.

He immediately slammed his mental block down; he didn't need Mai reading all of his thoughts. But Noll was grateful for the switch in languages. "_No,_" he said curtly, turning to give Lin a pointed look. "_Why is she here?_"

Lin didn't bat an eye at the anger that laced Noll's voice. "_You need protection. With Mai's new... abilities she can help you more than I can._"

Noll felt a dull panic rising in his chest. He glanced at the source, Mai, as she stared at him with wide eyes. "_It's not necessary. Mai, you should go home._"

"_Yeah, but-_"

"_I know you meant well, Lin, but you're hurting Mai more than your helping me. She can't miss school-_"

Lin closed the file with a louder _smack_ than should have been possible with the manila folder. "_Think about yourself for once, Naru. Someone is gunning for you, and if Mai can help keep you safe then she is staying here._"

"_If Mai is here,_" Noll seethed, stalking over to where Mai had collapsed onto the couch, "_and I'm in danger, then SHE is in danger. And the connection - we don't even know how strong it is. We need to test it and-_"

"So tell them." Lin clicked his jaw, switching to English out of habit. Or maybe spite.

Mai didn't think she had ever seen Naru this angry. Not even when she interrupted the cleansing at Yasu's school did his face look this dark. "They don't _need to know_," he growled.

"Need to know what?" Luella inquired, her face suddenly serious. "What aren't you telling us, Oliver?"

Lin and Noll exchanged glares in a silent conversation for a long minute. It was obvious Lin wasn't going to allow Naru to send Mai back home, not while he was sure his young colleague was in danger. But telling his parents about the connection was _not an option. _That was one wound that should stay closed. He had to come up with an excuse and fast. Martin and Luella were never ones to take his silent answers.

There was only one thing he could do.

Lin raised an eyebrow as if he could read the teen's thoughts. He spared a glance at Mai, who looked bewildered and uncomfortable sitting on the couch between the Davises.

The room was silent for another heartbeat before Naru sighed and turned to face Mai. Despite the anger plain on his face, Naru's eyes were flashing with anxiety. Mai met them with a twinge of confusion as she heard his thought echoing in her head.

_Whatever happens, just go with it._

"In Japan..." Lin drifted off, unsure of what Noll would want him to say. He tried to keep the amusement off his face. Noll was desperate if he was considering this an option. Desperate - or inspired by real feelings, Lin mused. "Oliver and Mai developed a sort of... relationship. She was more than upset when I told her Noll was in the hospital."

While that was true, Mai had been very upset, but she didn't lthink she liked where this was going.

The tension could have been cut with a knife. Mai looked startled, wishing she could see Naru's face, but he'd skillfully covered his eyes with his bangs.

"Wait," Martin said, looking quickly from his Japanese house guest to his son. "You're saying... So Mai is-"

Naru took a breath to steel himself and collapsed onto the couch beside Mai, closer than he would have ever dared otherwise. He looked between his adoptive parents, dipped his arm over Mai's shoulder and flashed them one of his most devastating smirks. "My girlfriend."

* * *

_Authors Note_: I know, I know! Two updates in one week - _what is she thinking_? Well, it's thanks to all of you. The reviews I received on the last chapter just inspired me and I couldn't stop writing. So here it is in all its 3,000 word glory!

What do you think? Naru and Mai faux dating? I feel like I read a lot of fanfics that either have them together and hiding it or have them avoid each other at all costs. So, I wanted to try something a bit different.

Also, a warning. I do not live nor have I ever been anywhere other than America. If you're from England - please don't take offense to my ignorant description of a place I have never been too. Please? :)

Once again, to a big thank you to my lovely beta Sir Arghs III!

NEXT TIME: Luella and Martins reaction? And settling into England.

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

Thanks for reading, you're opinions mean the world!

EL-V


	6. File 5

Please see the authors note at the end of this chapter!

**File 5**

"I... I uh..." Mai resembled a fish, mouth falling open and then quickly closed as she volleyed between feeling surprised and embarrassed. The sight would have made Noll laugh if he hadn't hastily bitten the inside of his cheek and choked down the urge. He must have been on too many painkillers.

Noll could practically see the gears turning in his parents head as the room fell into an awkward silence.

Eventually, a grin formed on Luella's face. "Noll! Why didn't you tell us?" She clapped her hands excitedly, hopping on the balls of her feet. "Oh, this is wonderful!"

Beside her, her husband seemed less than ecstatic. His eyes had narrowed at the young couple. "She's not pregnant is she?"

"_Martin_!"

Noll felt the blood simultaneously drain from this face and rush to his cheeks. "You _know_ that's not-"

"I know, I know." The father figure chuckled, a smile crinkling the corner of his dark eyes. "I just had to be sure."

"Saiko! Get down!"

As caught up in the moment as Noll had been, he hadn't noticed the flash of black and orange fur until it was too late. In his lap stretched a small, multicolored, Tortoiseshell cat. She purred loudly, climbing up Noll's shirt to nudge his chin with her nose.

Noll, not really sure what to do, simply tweaked her ear until she meowed and dropped unhappily back into his lap.

There was a moment of silence before the inevitable: "_You have a cat?_" Mai squealed, not realizing her switch to Japanese as she reached a hand forward to rub between the pet's ears, "_She's so cute~!_"

Noll nodded, trying his hardest not to flinch as the animal primped its claws into his sore thigh.

He could have sworn he'd heard Lin snicker as Luella sat on the other side of Mai. Despite the well timed distraction, her eyes still sparkled with curiosity. "When did this happen? The relationship I mean. Where did you guys meet? Was it after or before you were his assistant?"

Mai had a deep blush on her cheeks, whether from the question or sudden acquisition of a boyfriend, Noll couldn't decide. Her heart thrummed erratically under his fingertips and as much as he wanted to entertain the idea of Mai telling stories of their 'relationship', he couldn't allow her to blow their cover. "Luella, I-"

"Sorry for the interruption," Noll bit back a growl as James appeared in the hallway. He had a white wash-cloth folded over one shoulder and a skittish pinch to his eyes. "Dinner is served."

Luella flashed the butler a winning smile, "Thank you, James."

Martin looked expectantly at the group, "Shall we head to the dining room?"

Despite his better judgment, Noll withdrew his arm from around his new _girlfriend, _handing her the purring cat as he pushed himself to his feet. Immediately the blood rushed to his injured leg, making him hiss in pain. He tried to cover the noise with a cough.

Luella stood too and placed a warm hand on her son's back, completely missing how he held his bad foot just off the floor. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Fine," he was about to say but thought better of it. Mai was watching him from the corner of her eye, pouting with her eyebrows pulled together as she pet Saiko. It was almost too obvious how upset she was. Her thoughts hummed beneath his own, quieted only by the barrier he held between them.

She _really_ wanted to talk to him.

He faked another cough, "Actually, I'm not all that hungry and I'm sure Mai's still quite tired from her trip."

Luella caught on quick, as usual. Her eyes lit up with worry as she turned back to the girl, "Oh, Mai, I forgot - you must be exhausted."

_Say yes._

"_Hai,_" Mai chirped nervously, then stumbled and corrected herself. "Y-Yes."

"I'll escort Mai to her room." Noll didn't wait for a response; he offered his hand to Mai. She hesitated before taking it, letting the cat jump from her lap before rising to her feet.

_Are you sure?_ Her thoughts asked him wearily. He just flashed her one of his 'charming' smiles and led her from the room.

Once safely in the hallway and out of view, Noll dropped her hand. "_I know you're going to yell at me, so just do it._"

She didn't need to be told twice. "_What the hell was _that?" She screeched, letting him lead her up a flight of stairs. "_Is this some sort of twisted fantasy of yours or what? And I didn't even get a 'thank you' or 'good to see you again, Mai.' You're such a...a jerk. You know I'm going to miss my finals, Naru-_"

"_I will be calling your school first thing in the morning._"

"_You...will?_" Mai practically had to jog to keep up with his long stride. They turned a corner and were heading down a long hallway now.

He shrugged. "_As I have said before, it would be rude of me to refuse your studies. I wouldn't want to risk what intelligence you might have acquired in the past few months._"

Mai glared at the side of his blank face, letting his words sink in. Did he always have to insult her like that? "_And?_"

Noll cast her a sideways glance. "_And what?_"

"_Don't play stupid, Naru. You still haven't answered my first question._"

"_First of all, I am in no way_ stupid, _Mai." _Noll gestured to the second door on the right, opening the door to reveal a large room with her luggage already placed in it._ "And secondly, it was the best scenario I could come up with on the spot_. _After all, _I _wasn't the one who called _you."

Mai glanced inside but paused at the door. "_What about your parents_?"

He cocked uninterested eyebrow and asked, rather plainly, "_What about them?_"

"_The professor_ - Martin," she stumbled over the name, "_He seemed pretty unconvinced about-_"

"_Martin couldn't be bothered with the trivial nature of our relationship,_"

Mai studied him, envying his ability to rationalize the situation so easily. She was still working on getting her pulse back to normal. "_And your mother?_"

Noll sighed. He expected to get the third degree from his parents, not Mai. Though, really, he should have known better. "_Luella is a woman who won't stop until she gets the truth, Mai._"

She gave him a dubious look. "_Then why even bother lying?_" She asked, crossing her arms, "_you could have at least made it somewhat believable_."

"_That's exactly _why_ I chose this_," he started, "_It's so preposterous that she'll spend weeks, probably months, hoping that it's true_." Noll pushed back his bangs, quelling the fire gnawing at his belly. He felt sick, but most of all, he felt tired. "_By the time she gets over that delusion we will be prepared to tell them the truth._"

"_Why can't be just tell them now, Naru?_" Mai had wanted to ask a similar question for weeks. Why was it so important that she not tell Monk or Ayako, or any of the other SPR Irregulars? Was it really that big of a deal or was he... _embarrassed_ of their situation?

The boy was quiet, studying the hall that lead back down to the kitchen where his adoptive parents were most-likely discussing this very subject. A delighted squeal sounded then, as if to confirm his thoughts.

"_Because,_" he said finally, "_Gene's been buried for months now and it's the first time I've seen them..._smile." The last word came out as an English whisper, so soft she strained to hear it.

"_Oh Naru,_" Mai cooed. She didn't know how he did it. How he could be the most egotistical man on Earth - and the most caring.

Noll clenched his jaw, suddenly aware of just how much he'd shared. "Goodnight Mai_,_" he said in English, crossing the hall to his own room.

"_Ano,_" she stammered, hearing the low click of his door before she could mutter, "Goodnight Naru_._"

* * *

_Authors Note_: As most of you already know, school's started up again. This semester I made the (very stupid) decision to take classes at TWO colleges to get ahead in my studies so - GOMENNASAI! This chapter is soooo late, but I've already finished future chapters so hopefully updating will get more stable. (Also, I've started seriously learning Japanese so it'll probably make more of an appearance in my writing.)

For those of you who are interested: the character design for the butler James is posted in a link on my profile. Also,

1) I've been working on a Gene and Noll A-Z one-shot series that will be uploaded when it's complete.

2) I've already published a completed three-shot story called Wreckage for the twins' birthday. If you haven't already please check it out!

As always, a big thank you to my lovely beta Sir Arghs III!

NEXT TIME: Welcome to SPR, Mai.

_Disclaimer_: Ghost Hunt is owned by Fuyumi Ono (writer), Shiho Inada (illustrator), and licensed by FUNimation.

Read, relax, review!

EL-V


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